Europe – Page 109
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In depthViewpoint: Institutional fragmentation has undermined Rail Baltica
On paper Rail Baltica is a perfect match for the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility programme. But three issues need to be addressed, argues Kaspars Briškens, who recently stepped down as Head of Strategy & Development at the standard gauge railway project.
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News3TE28 diesel loco for eastern Russia unveiled
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Bryansk plant has unveiled its 3TE28 main line diesel locomotive, a three-section 18-axle design for hauling 7 100 tonne freight trains in eastern Russia. It uses TMH’s 8-9DGM diesel engine produced at the Kolomna works. The locomotive is to undergo 10 000 km of ...
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NewsElectrification extended southeast of Paris
FRANCE: Electrification of the 72 km Gretz - Longueville – Nogent-sur-Seine section of the Paris Est – Troyes main line and the 7 km single-track Longueville – Provins branch has been completed with the launch of electric services on October 3. Speeds and journey times are unchanged, but electrification is expected to improve reliability.
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Metro Report InternationalBilbao metro Line 5 approved
SPAIN: The Basque regional government has given final approval for construction of Line 5 of the Bilbao metro network.
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NewsModular maintenance fleet ordered
AUSTRIA: Plasser & Theurer is to supply ÖBB Infrastruktur with a fleet of 56 modular maintenance vehicles with hybrid traction drives under the largest contract ever placed with the company. The order includes an option for another 46 vehicles. First delivery is scheduled for the end ...
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NewsHydrogen traction and fuel supply agreement signed
POLAND: Rolling stock manufacturer Pesa and fuel company PKN Orlen are to jointly offer rail operators hydrogen vehicles and the fuel they require. The two companies signed an agreement at InnoTrans, held in Berlin on September 21-24, where Pesa displayed a hydrogen shunting locomotive along with ...
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NewsThree-phase Portuguese high speed line plan announced
PORTUGAL: Plans to launch the development of a €4·5bn Lisboa – Porto high speed line as part of the PNI 2030 national investment plan have been announced.
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NewsNon-traditional materials to reduce bogie weights
SLOVAKIA: The readiness of the rail freight market to accept the use of non‑traditional materials in bogie production is being assessed in Tatravagónka’s Y25LsAL‑C-K bogie project, for which technical and economic feasibility studies are now underway. The wagon manufacturer says weight reductions and the resulting improvements ...
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NewsFenniarail orders electric locomotive to support growth
FINLAND: Private freight operator Fenniarail has announced a firm order for Siemens Mobility to supply one Vectron electric locomotive by the end of October 2023, with an option for a further four. The operator is to invest in a maintenance depot in the Kouvola region, and ...
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NewsService increases and new trains in German operating contract
GERMANY: Berlin-Brandenburg transport authority VBB has awarded DB Regio Nordost the contract to operate Netz Nord-Süd passenger services on behalf of the Länder of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Sachsen-Anhalt. The contract runs for 12 years from December 2026 and covers services RE3 Schwedt/Stralsund – Berlin – ...
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In depthEurope: Overcoming the language barrier
Developed by UIC and RailNetEurope with funding from the Shift2Rail joint undertaking, the Translate4Rail tool offers hope that the thorny problem of drivers and dispatchers speaking different languages on cross-border routes in Europe can finally be resolved. Toma Bačić explains.
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NewsDeutsche Bahn sells Arriva businesses to private equity holding company
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has reached agreement to sell its Arriva local transport activities in Denmark, Poland and Serbia.
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NewsCanadian rail industry to assist Ukraine
UKRAINE: A working group to support the reconstruction of Ukrainian transport infrastructure and the resilience of rail assets has been formed by the governments of Ukraine and Canada, national railway Ukraliznytsia, and the Railway Association of Canada on behalf of Canadian railways.
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In depthGermany: Farm shop concept spurs freight tram revival
Initially developed as a student project, a mobile ‘farm shop’ retail and freight service using a converted tram-train is being proposed for use on the regional rail network around Karlsruhe. This in turn could offer a more viable business model for other cargo tram initiatives.
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NewsNorth American and European rail supply industry associations sign MoU
INNOTRANS: The US Railway Supply Institute, the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers and European supply industry association UNIFE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening future collaboration. The three organisations said the MoU signed at InnoTrans in Berlin would begin a new phase in ...
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NewsLallemand to step down as head of SNCF Réseau
FRANCE: Luc Lallemand is to leave his role as President & Director-General of infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau, the transport ministry confirmed on September 28.
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NewsBanedanmark completes København S-bane CBTC roll-out
DENMARK: The whole of the København S-bane network is now being operated using communications-based train control, following the commissioning of lineside equipment on the three final sections of route over the weekend of September 24-25.
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NewsRack railway to be converted to driverless operation
SWITZERLAND: Stadler is to supply what it says will be the first fully automated adhesion and rack-and-pinion railcar for use on in an open overland railway environment, rather than in a tunnel or closed network where there is little risk of an obstacle on the line. ...
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In depthGermany: Wendlingen - Ulm poised to open as Stuttgart21 costs rise again
Deutsche Bahn will open the Wendlingen – Ulm high speed line in December with the controversial Stuttgart 21 project following in stages from 2025 onwards. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsGlobalvia takes stake in Iryo ahead of November launch
SPAIN: Globalvia has formally completed its acquisition of a 24% stake in Iryo owner ILSA. The open access high speed operator expects to launch services between Madrid and Barcelona in late November.